Handle for mattresses, box springs, and cushions



Aug. 20, 1935. BEG-K 2,011,747

HANDLE FOR MATTRESSES, BOX SPRINGS AND CUSHIONS Filed Aug. 19, 1932 2Sheets-Sheet l M. BECHIK Aug. 20, 1935.

HANDLE FOR MATTRESSES, BOX SPRINGS AND CUSHIONS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledAug., 19, 1952 Patented Aug. 20, 1935 UNITED STATES HANDLE FORMATTRESSES, BOX SPRINGS, AND CUSHIONS Michael Bechik, St. Paul, Minn.Application August 19, 1932, Serial No. 629,421

15 Claims.

My invention relates to a handle for mattresses, box-springs and thelike, where it is desirable to provide a means of engagement by the handso I that the mattress may be engaged easily and handled so as to turnit over or lift and carry the same. A handle of this character is verydesirable because it lies normally fiat against the side wall or boxingof the mattress, is moon-'- spicuous and yet is strong and durable, sothat the mattress may be lifted and carried or engaged by handles ofthis character attached to the same.

A feature of my handle resides in providing a flexible handle memberwhich may be in the form of a round or flat cord or strap and may beformed of any suitable material and which is anchored into the boxing orside wall of the mattress or cushion through grommets which are securedto the side wall and theanchor means. The portion of the handle engagedbythe hand liesjnormally fiat against the outside wall so as not toproject or bulge from the same and I provide an anchoring andreinforcing means in an inner supporting member which may be bowed awayfrom the center portion of the outer part of the handle to permit theside wall of the mattress to bend in toward this member directly back ofthe handle. Thus when the fingers engage over the handle lying againstthe side wall of the mattress or cushion, the wall will bend inwardagainst the inner supporting member forming a hand recess about thehandle making it easy to engage.

Further, I provide a replaceable handle which may be readily replaced bya similar handle at any time it is desired.

My handle includes a construction wherein an inner reinforcing memberextends along the side wall or boxing of the mattress and may bestraight or bowed intermediate the ends. When bowed inwardly it providesa hand recess for the handle which extends along the outside of the wallof the mattress or cushion. When the reinforcing inner member isstraight the handle itself may be provided with resilient means whichpermits the handle to stretch for the easy engagement of the hand withthe same.

The reinforcing member is secured to the inner wall of the mattress bythe grommets through which the handle extends from the outside. Thismember may be tubular or flat. The tubular structure is preferred when acoil spring is attached to the. ends of the handle so as to permit thespring to operate in the tubular portion of the reinforcing memberwithout interfering with the inner parts of the cushion or mattress orcausing these parts to interfere with the operation of the spring of thehandle. The handle maybe of a flexible resilient nature so that it willstretch as may be desired, thus providing the necessary give for theengagement of the hand. A primary feature of my handle is that it isinexpensive, attractive in appearance because it can be made of the samematerial as the mattress wall, or of other suitable decorative material,or of a silk-like cord, and being of a flexible nature is not hard orundesirable, extending along flat against the outside wall of themattress or cushion. A further advantage of my handle is that the sidewall of the mattress or cushion normally remains fiat with my handlelying directly against the same and with the'curved reinforcing anchormember which is rigidly fixed and concealed inside of the wall of themattress, even though the wall of the mattress extends fiat it willreadily bend inwardly the moment the hand moves into engagement with thehandle.

-In the drawings forming part of this specification:

Figure 1 illustartes a perspective detail of a portion of a mattress,showing my handle attached to the side wall of the same.

Figure 2 is a sectional detail of my handle in one form, illustratingthe construction thereof as it would appear attached to the side wall ofa mattress or cushion.

Figure 3 is an inner view in perspective of the construction illustratedin Figure 2. K

Figure 4 illustrates another sectional detail of a form of my handle.

Figure 5 is a similar section to Figure 4, showing the side walladjacent the handle cord bent inward toward the bowed anchor member.

Figure 6 is a perspective detail of the straplike form of my handle,showing the flexible strap-like handle extending to the inside of thewall and the ends anchored together over the bowed anchor member.

Figure 7 is a perspective detail of a strap construction of my handleshowing a coil spring in dotted outline attached to the inner ends ofthe same.

Figure 8 illustrates the manner in which the hand grips my flexiblehandle in use.

Figure 9 illustrates-a sectional detail similar to Figures 4 and 5, withthe exception that the anchoring member is formed straight instead ofbeing bowed inwardly on the inside of the mattres or cushion. A v

Figure 10 illustrates a perspective detail show-- ing my strap-likehandle with a different an shoring means for the end thereof asassociated ward the offset tube I4.

with the elongated grommet for receiving the ends of the handle whichcarries an anchoring pin.

Figure 11 is a sectional detail of the construction illustrated inFigure 10, showing the handle inserted through the grommet and theanchoring pin engaging against the inside of the same to anchor the endsof the strap handle.

Heretofore handles have been provided for mattresses and cushionswherein various constructions have been used, some of which have been ofa type where a member was sewed to the side wall of the mattress orcushion, and others of which included a rod-like metal handle member,held to the side walls by various constructions so as to permit the sameto'be engaged to lift or carry the mattress. These forms, I believe, areobjectionable because when. they are sewed on they are very apt to pullofi, and the metal handles are undesirable because they detract from thedecorative textile material of which mattresses and cushions are usuallymade. It is with this in mind I have provided my handles A, which aremade of flexible'material having a character so that they may be of thesame material as the mattress or cushion and formed either in a roundcord-like member or a flat construction.

When the handle A is formed of the cord I0 it may be of any suitablelength and is adapted to be connected to the side wall II of themattress spring I3 and these ends I2 and the. coil spring I3 are adaptedto be carried in the tubular portion I4 of the anchoring and securingmember I5.

The member I5 may be made by stamping the same from fiat stock or formedfrom a tube and is provided with washer-like end portions I6 whichengage, fiat against the inner surface of the wall I I and which areadapted to be held secured to the wall by suitable grommets I! of thedesired form and nature so as to firmly fix the anchoring member I5 tothe inner wall I I of the mattress B. It is desirable to form theanchoring member I5 with the tubular portion I4 offset from thewasher-like; ends I6 so as to normally provide a space I8 between thetube I4 and the wall II. This space I8 provides a means of permittingthe wall In to move toward the offset tube I4 when the handle A isengaged, thus providing a finger space by forcing the wall II todle A tobe easily engaged by the hand and yet 1 an important feature of thisconstruction is that the wall II normally remains flat with the rest ofthe wall of the side II of the cushion or mattress B so as not todetract from the general smooth appearance of the same. The recess whichis provided by the offsetting of the tube I4 in the side wall is notapparent normally, but

The handle A may be made in the form and construction illustrated inFigures 4 and 5, wherein the cord I0 is formed with a knot I9 oneach-end toanchor the inner'ends of the handle This permits the hantoengage the handle cord Ill the wall II willbend inwardly as illustratedin Figure 5, forming a recess between the handle cord I0 and the wall sothat a person's hand may easily engage the handle A to lift or carry themattress B.

It may be preferred to form the handle A with a fiat flexible member 20,as illustrated in Figures 6 and 7,-and in this construction the flatstraplike handle 20 extends through the elongated grommets 2| which holdthe anchoring bar I5 to the side wall I I of the mattress or cushion B.

The handle A" may be made of a single piece with the ends overlapped andsecured together at 22 across the back of the anchoring bar I5 asillustrated in dotted outlinein Figure 6. When so formed the handle A isfirmly fixed in place and has sufficient give topermit the hand to beslipped back of the handle between the wall II and the inside of thestrap handle 20. Here again the anchoring bar I5 is bent inwardly in thesame manner as illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, so that the Wall IIwillben'd toward the inner bowed portion of the bar I5 as soon as thefin-.

gers of the hand slip around the strap handle 20.

The handle 20 in its fiat straplike nature may be formed with eyelets 23secured in the ends of the sameand in these eyelets the ends of a coilspring 24 may engage to provide a more resilient handle A which has anature to stretch to a certain extent when engaged by the hand. It ispreferred that the coil spring 24 be encased within a tube such as I4 toprotectthe coil spring 24, which is similar to the coil spring I3,against becoming entangled or interfering with the inner parts of ,thecushion or mattress B. Thus allowing'the spring 24 in thesame manner asthe spring I3 operates, to move freely unimpaired in the tube I4. Theconstruction of the handle A may be made as illustrated in Figure 9,where the cord I0 extends through the grommets I1. In this constructionthe grommets I'I hold the washer-like ends of the anchoring member I5,"which is of the same construction as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3,excepting the washer-like ends I6 are not offset from the tubularportion I4 but extend in line with the same and no space such as I8 isprovided between the tube I4 and the wall II. Thus the anchoring memberI5" lies fiat against the inner surface of the wall II of the mattressor cushion B and any space for the fingers of the hand is obtained bystretching of the cord ID, the ends of which are secured by thetubular-"fasteners 25 which are formed with an eye "26 which engageswith the ends of the spring 21. tubular ends act as a funnel which isclamped over the ends of the cord I0 torigidly attach the tubularmembers 25 to the handle A. In stretching the handle III in theconstruction of Figure 9, the connection 25 acts as a stop whencontacting with the grommet I! to prevent the spring 21 from beingstretched too far. In the construction ofFigure 2, the doubled-over endsI2, as illustrated, will strike against the grommets and act asshouldersto prevent the stretching of the spring I3'.- 1

Thus the handle A may be formed as illustrated in Figure 9, without aspace being provided Thebetween the anchor member and the wall I l andyet having sufficient room for the hand owing to the coil spring whichpermits the handle cord ID to stretch sufficiently to admit the hand inengagement with the cord.

The easy engagement of the cord ill by the hand is illustrated in Figure8. This also shows the grommet I! which acts as a securing means for theends of the anchor member l5 and a ventilator opening around the handleA through the grommet so that a ventilation to the mattress is providedas well as an opening through which the flexible handle A may move inoperation.

I provide a construction of the handle A" which forms a removable strapmember 28, only a portion of which is illustrated in Figures and 11.Here the strap 28 may be anchored by providing an anchoring pin 29extending through the ends of the strap 28 and by means of the elongatedgrommet 30 which holds the inner anchor member l5 and which provides theslotted opening 3|, the end of the strap 28 which carries the anchoringpin 29 may be inserted through the slot 3| by bending the end of thestrap 28 so that the pin 29 lies flat with the strap and then insertingthe same through the grommet slot 3!. Each end is provided with ananchoring pin 29 as illustrated in Figure 10 for the handle 28. Inoperative position the pins 29 hold the ends of the handle 28 asillustrated. in Figure 11, with the pins 29 extending transverselyacross the slots 3| so as to securely anchor the inner ends of thehandle 28. Should the handle 28 wear out or it be desired to replace thesame a new handle can be supplied with anchoring pins 29 which will beextended through the slot 3| as heretofore set forth. If it is notpossible to remove the end of the whole handle with the pin 29, thehandle can be cut ofi and the inner parts will do no harm in themattress or cushion. Thus I provide a removable and replaceable handlein the construction illustrated in Figures 10 and 11.

My handle A in its flexible nature is very adaptable to cushions andmattresses and articles where a strong'attractive handle is desire whichmay be adapted to lie along the side wall, resting flat against the sameand without detracting from the appearance of the side wall or causingthe side wall to bend or wrinkle by the attaching or use of the handle.The anchoring member in my handle provides a rigid securing meansextending along in line with the handle, concealed within the mattresswall or cushion and preventing the pinching of the side wall when thehandle A is engaged to lift the mattress. No metallic parts other thanthe grommets appear upon the side wall of a mattress or cushion equippedwith my handle; It is flexible, easy to engage, soft on the hand inlifting the mattress, securely attached and anchored, and asuflicienthand space is provided without causing the handle to pinch the fingersbetween the wall and the handle. The inner ends of the handle areprotected in the tubular anchor as well as the spring and extend closeto and along the inside of the wall of the mattress or cushion so as totake up a small space and yet give flexibility as may be desired.

The flexible nature of my handle provides a hand engaging means whichissoft and fits closely to the side wall, giving a construction for thehandle which may be made of textile material of the same nature as thecover of the mattress or cushionf or may be made of any other suitableflexible material, like leather or similar material, as well as of adecorative material in the form of a silk cord or strap which may act todecorate the side of the mattress as well as providing a means of easilyengaging the same. Mattresses and cushions made of a square or box-liketype are hard to engage and handle and where the handles are just sewedto the construction they are not properly anchored to provide a stronglifting and handling means for the same. Metallic handles areundesirable, whereas, my handle overcomes these objections and providesall of the advantages as setforth.

. I claim:

1. A flexible handle for mattresses, cushions and the like comprising,an anchoring bar having an ofiset central portion, means foranchoringsaid bar to the wall of the mattress or cushion within thesame, a hand engaging member extending through the mattress wall atsubstantially spaced points to engage said anchoring bar at pointsoppositely disposed on either side of said ofiset portion, said ofisetpermitting flexing of the 'said wall when said handle is engaged.

2. A resilient handle for a mattress, cushion and the like including, aflexible hand engaging member extending along the wall of the mattress,anchoring means held by grommets, concealed along the inside of themattress wall, said anchoring means including a tubular central portionoffset from the ends thereof to form aspace into which the mattress wallmay be flexed, and a coil spring securing the ends of said flexiblehandle within said tubular anchor.

3. A handle for cushions and the like including, a flexible handlemember, means for anchoring the inner ends of said handle memberincluding a coil spring, a tubular member in which said coil springoperates, securing ends formed onsaid tubular member, anchoring means,for said securing ends to secure said ends to the wall of the cushion orthe like, said tubular member forming a shield for the inner ends of thehandle member and coil spring.

4. A handle for a cushion and the like including, a flexible handengaging strap-like member, and means for. anchoring the ends of saidflexible handle member to the wall of the cushion including a cushionwall flexing recess formed in said anchoring means in a manner to permitthe wall of the cushion to remain normally flat and to flex inwardlywhen said flexible handle member is engaged.

-5. A mattress handle including, a supporting bar across the inside wallof the mattress. grommets extending through the ends of said bar to fixthe same to the mattress wall, and a handle extending through saidgrommets, said bar being secured in a manner to permit said handle to beeasily engaged.

6. A handle for a mattress and the like comprising, a reinforcing barconcealed in the mattress, a flexible handle carried by said bar havingan engaging portion on the outside of the mattress, ends on said handleextending into the the hand engages said handle.

wall to permit the side of the same to sink in when '7. A handle for amattress, cushion and the i tress and extending through said grommets,said curved portion of said bar permitting the side wall of the mattressto bend in thereby forming a space for the hand in engaging said handle.

- within the mattress wall for the spaced ends of said handle includingbight means forming a recess between the bight and mattress wall forallowing said wall to flex into the bight to facilitate easy engagementof the handle, the recess being normally inconspicuous by thestraightening of the wall of the mattress.

9. A mattress handle including, a hand engaging member, means foranchoringthe ends of said member within the wall of the mattress, and aflexing space in said anchoring means to permit the mattress wall toflex inwardly when the hand engaging member is engaged.

10. A mattress handle including, a reinforcing bar concealed within themattress, a flexing recess formedin said bar, a handle member,endson-said handle member extending into the mattress at points asubstantial distance apart to engage 'said reinf'orcing'bar onoppositely disposed sides of said flexing recess, said bar permittingthe flexing of the mattress wall into the recess when the hand engagesthe handle.

11. A mattress handle including, a reinforcing bar, means for securingsaid bar to the inside of the mattress wall, a flexible handle engagingsaid bar and means for anchoring the ends thereof to said reinforcingbar, whereby the portion of the handle between the ends of said baroutside the mattress wall is engageable for lifting said mattress.

12. A handle for a mattress including, a handle member, a reinforcingand spacing'memher having an offset portion between the ends thereof,means for securing said reinforcing member inside the wall of themattress, and means for securing said handle member to said reinforcingmember, whereby the wall of the mattress lies between the handle memberand the reinforcing member and remains normally flat and flexes inwardwithout material resistance when the hand engages said handle mem-- ber.a

13. A handle for cushions, mattresses and the like, comprising, areinforcing member, means for securing said reinforcing member with theends fixed to the mattress or the like, and a hand engaging memberextending between the ends of said reinforcing member in a manner to'normally lie flat against the wall of the mattress or cushion, saidreinforcing member permitting the wall of the mattress to flex inwardlywithout tension other than the tendency of the wall to normally remaincomparatively flat between the ends of said reinforcing member.

14. In combination with a mattress wall having a pair of openingstherein, a rigid bracing member secured interiorly of said wall andhaving an aperture in each end thereof to register with said openings insaid mattress wall, the central portion of said bracing member beingcurved inwardly away from said mattress wall to permit inward flexing ofthe wall toward said inwardly curved'portion, a handle member passingthrough said openings in said wall and said bracing member to normallylie in contact with said wall, retaining means secured to each' end 'ofsaid handle member inwardly of said brac-

